A Candid Perspective on the Cloud Threat Landscape - What's Real, What's Not, and What Should Change

Explore a critical analysis of the current cloud threat landscape through this 27-minute conference talk that separates fact from fiction in cloud security reporting. Examine real attack techniques observed in the wild during the first half of 2025, based on comprehensive analysis of open-source reporting from major vendors, independent researchers, and specialized security firms. Learn how current cloud threat narratives often lack the rigor found in traditional cyber threat intelligence reporting, and discover the gaps that leave defenders without clear threat models. Understand the progress made in cloud security, including improved detection logic and exemplary threat reporting practices that effectively guide defenders. Investigate why reporting gaps persist, from marketing-driven narratives and limited telemetry to the overly broad use of cloud terminology and chronic incident underreporting. Gain insights from real-world threat intelligence community experience and discover actionable improvements including structured language for cloud-specific threats, practices adapted from traditional CTI, and recommendations for greater transparency in analyzing adversary behavior in cloud environments.